Bernard MacCarlie v. Marion Spearman

MEMORANDUM

Petitioner Bernard Lee MacCarlie appeals the district court’s denial of his petition for writ of habeas corpus pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2254 . Reviewing the denial of MacCarlie’s petition de novo, Jones v. Ryan, 691 F.3d 1093, 1100 (9th Cir.2012), we affirm.

The sole issue before this court is whether the inclusion of an implied malice jury instruction on the charge of conspiracy to commit murder was prejudicial under Brecht v. Abrahamson, 507 U.S. 619 , 113 S.Ct. 1710 , 123 L.Ed.2d 353 (1993). After-reviewing the record as a whole, we agree with the district court that the instructional error did not have a “substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the jury’s verdict.” Id. at 638 , 113 S.Ct. 1710 ; see also Ayala v. Wong, No. 09-99005, 730 F.3d 831, 849 , 2013 WL 4865145, at *13 (9th Cir. Sept. 13, 2013). Read as a whole, the instructions — in particular the conspiracy instruction — informed the jury that they were required to find premeditated intent, or express malice, to convict on the conspiracy charge. Nothing in the record suggests that the jury was confused or misled by the implied malice instruction. Moreover, the evidence of a conspiracy…